Alienware M17x R4 Review (i7 3610QM/ AMD HD7970M)

The tests were performed in a controlled air conditioned room with temperatures maintained at a constant 23c – a comfortable environment for the majority of people reading this. Idle temperatures were measured after sitting at the desktop for 30 minutes. Load measurements were acquired by running Furmark and Cinebench together.

The Core i7 3610QM remains well within the tolerance thresholds. AMD’s HD7970M runs quite hot under extended load, although the fan system ensures that it is perfectly stable at all times.

We also attached 5 diodes to the underside of the machine to measure the load temperatures of various parts of the chassis. These were measured after 1 hour of intensive work.

The rear of the M17X can get warm under load, with all the warm air being pumped out of the bottom of the machine. Diode 4 and Diode 5 are focused on the fan areas to cool the Core i7 processor and AMD HD7970M.

To be fair, the the M17X is a desktop replacement and isn’t ideally suited for extended ‘on the lap’ use.